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In December 2019, an outbreak of an unknown cause of pneumonia (later named coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) occurred in Wuhan, China. This was found to be attributed to a novel coronavirus of zoonotic origin, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; previously named 2019 novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV). The SARS-CoV-2, a new type of highly pathogenic human coronavirus related to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), spread rapidly worldwide and caused 246,303,023 confirmed infections, including 4,994,160 deaths, by October 31, 2021. SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV vary in their specific characteristics, regarding epidemics and pathogenesis. This article focuses on the comparison of the virology, epidemiology, and clinical features of SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 to reveal their common and distinct properties, to provide an up-to-date resource for the development of advanced systems and strategies to monitor and control future epidemics of highly pathogenic human coronaviruses.
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The lives of human individuals and groups around the globe have changed drastically due to the emergence of novel corona virus in late 2019. The significant part of CoV-19 from the global point is transmission rate, and therefore, it is mandatory to identify and isolate the affected persons even with the mild infection. To stop the rapid transmission of virus to drastic manner, it is essential to follow the hygienic practices, identification of potential vaccines and proper health care management systems to combat the novel virus. Despite the serious mortality rates and high confirmed cases, at present, there is no proven treatment and vaccine to treat the pandemic coronavirus. The current review prioritizes the recent trends in the health care sector, vaccine development pipeline and artificial intelligence role to combat CoV-2. Due to the unprecedented situation, the health care professionals was under high working stress and they were pushed to make serious decisions on time. Several health care workers pose directly threat to the occupational health risk. Besides, the industry is also experiencing a decrease in the outpatient footfalls along with the reduction of international patients. Furthermore, the services such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular affected by 53%, 49%, 42% and 31%, respectively, due to the pandemic. Vaccines and treatments are the urgent need and have been extensively on progress worldwide. Despite the new technologies, the effectiveness of the old antiviral, such as Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, Lopinavir-Ritonavir, Nafamostat and Camostat, and Remdesiviron COVID-19, was reviewed. The reviews on different vaccinations were effective in the understanding the efficiency of drugs in reducing the symptoms of COVID-19. Although vaccination and social distancing can reduce the infection, the role of the Artificial intelligence technology will enable the highest reduction of the COVID-19 infection by reducing the time and increasing the reliability.
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The scientific research on prevention and control of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been a major and urgent task, of which clinical trials occupy a pivotal position in the entire prevention and control system. 204 relative clinical trials of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Through the analysis of all online public protocols of registered trials, it is found that the clinical studies of TCM in China showed lack of research foundation, tight time and heavy tasks, difficult clinical implementation, and disturbance by changes of the epidemic status. Based on these characteristics, this paper put forward several thoughts and suggestions on the quality management and design improvement for clinical trials of TCM preventing and treating COVID-19, in order to improve the quality of clinical trials in China, provide effective supports for the public health decision-making on the epidemic, and also give a reference for the prevention and control of epidemics in the future. © 2023 West China University of Medical Science. All rights reserved.
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Background: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a common symptom of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is defined as the reduced or distorted ability to smell during sniffing (orthonasal olfaction) and represents one of the early symptoms in the clinical course of COVID-19 infection. A large online questionnaire-based survey has shown that some post-COVID-19 patients had no improvement 1 month after discharge from the hospital. Objective: To explore the efficacy of acupuncture for OD in COVID-19 infected patients and to determine whether acupuncture could have benefits over sham acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients. Methods: This is a single-blind, randomized controlled, cross-over trial. We plan to recruit 40 post-COVID-19 patients with smell loss or smell distortions lasting for more than 1 month. Qualified patients will be randomly allocated to the intervention group (real acupuncture) or the control group (sham acupuncture) at a 1:1 ratio. Each patient will receive 8 sessions of treatment over 4 weeks (Cycle 1) and a 2-week follow-up. After the follow-up, the control group will be subjected to real acupuncture for another 4 weeks (Cycle 2), and the real acupuncture group will undergo the 4-week sham acupuncture. The primary outcomes will be the score changes on the questionnaire of olfactory functioning and olfaction-related quality of life at week 6, 8, 12, and 14 from the baseline. The secondary outcomes will be the changes in the olfactory test score at week 6 and 12 from the baseline measured by using the Traditional Chinese version of the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT-TC). Discussion: The results of this trial will help to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for OD in post-COVID-19 patients. This may provide a new treatment option for patients.
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This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of patients infected with novel coronavirus wild strains, Delta variant strains and Omicron variant strains to provide a reference for early clinical diagnosis and prognostic assessment. The demographic, clinical symptoms and ancillary examination data of 47 patients with novel coronavirus wild type strain infection, 18 with Delta variant infection and 20 with Omicron variant infection admitted to the First Hospital of Quanzhou affiliated with Fujian Medical University were collected and analyzed. The novel coronavirus wild strain and Delta strain were the predominant clinical types;patients infected with the Omicron strain were mainly asymptomatic. Fever and fatigue were the main clinical manifestations in the wild strain and Delta strain groups, whereas dry cough, nasal congestion, sore throat and fever were common clinical manifestations in the Omicron strain group. The Delta strain and Omicron variant groups had fewer comorbidities than the wild-type strain group, but no significant reduction was observed in the negative conversion time of nucleic acids. Significant differences were found in the neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio, lymphocyte count, eosinophil count, red blood cell count, hemoglobin level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio and plasma D-dimer, PH, PaO2, lactic acid and albumin levels among the three groups. Patients infected with the Omicron strain in Quanzhou presented with mild symptoms of the upper respiratory tract as the primary clinical manifestation and had few comorbidities and a good prognosis;however, the negative conversion time of the new coronavirus nucleic acid was still considerably long. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Experimental & Therapeutic Medicine is the property of Spandidos Publications UK Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
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The problem of antimicrobial therapy (AMT) for the new coronavirus infection has been the cornerstone of practical healthcare since its emergence to the present day. The article summarizes a number of problems concerning the unjustified prescription of AMT based on the data of foreign and domestic studies, as well as actual clinical practice. On the one hand, viral damage to the lung tissue during COVID-19 is difficult to distinguish from community-acquired or secondary bacterial pneumonia;it prompts clinicians to prevent possible bacterial complications in the lungs by prescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics starting from the first day. On the other hand, the presence of clear clinical and biological markers of bacterial pneumonia;and COVID-19 makes it possible not to use antibiotics in routine practice, at least in the early stages of treatment. The introduction of procalcitonin as a biomarker of bacterial infection in COVID-19 into everyday clinical practice has a reasonable, methodical, and scientific approach to prescribing antibiotics.
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Safe, effective, and accessible vaccines are urgently needed to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2030. The 6th Global Forum on TB Vaccines, convened virtually 22–25 February 2022, was hosted by Toulouse, France, under the high patronage of President Emmanuel Macron, and the patronages of Minister for Solidarity and Health, Olivier Véran, and Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Frédérique Vidal. The theme for the meeting, "New horizons for TB vaccines”, reflected the changing landscape in which TB vaccine research and development (R&D) is being conducted: TB vaccines advancing into late-stage clinical trials and toward licensure, innovative research toward diversifying the TB vaccine pipeline and developing the next generation of candidates, increasing political, civil society, and community support for TB vaccines, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we summarize key themes and findings from the meeting, highlighting progress and gaps in the TB vaccine field.
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Objective: The role of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) in the pandemic context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to be debated. Patients with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, cerebro-cardiovascular disease, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), who often use ACEi/ARB, may affect risk of severe COVID-19. However, there are no data available on the association of ACEi/ARB use with COVID-19 severity in this population. Design and method: This study is an observational study of patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and inpatient treatment at a healthcare facility, using the registry information of COVIREGI-JP. Our primary outcomes were consisting of in-hospital death, ventilator support, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, and ICU admission. Out of the 6,055 patients, 1,921 patients with preexisting hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, cerebro-cardiovascular disease, or COPD were enrolled. We also evaluated 1,097 patients with hypertension. Results: Factors associated with an increased risk of the primary outcomes were aging, male sex, COPD, severe renal impairment, and diabetes mellitus. No correlations were observed with ACEi/ARB, cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, or hypertension. Associated factors in male patients were aging, renal impairment, hypertension, and diabetes. In female patients, factors associated with an increased risk were aging, ACEi/ARB, renal impairment, and diabetes, whereas hypertension was associated with a lower risk of the primary outcomes. In patients with hypertension, factors associated with an increased risk of the primary outcomes were aging, male sex, severe renal impairment, and diabetes mellitus, but not ACEi/ ARB, cerebro-cardiovascular diseases, or COPD. Conclusions: Independent factors for the primary outcomes were aging, male sex, COPD, severe renal impairment, and diabetes, but not ACEi/ARB, in the COVID-19 patients with preexisting hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, cerebro-cardiovascular disease or COPD. Based on this registry data analysis, more detailed data collection and analysis is needed with the cooperation of multiple healthcare facilities.
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Background: Dialysis patients have a higher COVID-19 fatality rate than the general population and are priority candidates for SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. However, dialysis patients are immunocompromised, suggesting that they may develop a less immune response to COVID-19 vaccination than healthy individuals. Objective and Methods: A total of 358 hemodialysis patients who were twicevaccinated with BNT162b2 were included. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titer was measured within 7 days to 1 month, 1∼2 months, and 3∼4 months after the second vaccination, and factors influencing antibody titer were statistically investigated. SARS-CoV-2 IgG measurement was performed using SARS-CoV-2 IgG II Quant Reagent (Abbott), which is a reagent to quantitatively measure IgG antibodies against the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Results: The patients were 240 males (67%) and 118 females, ranging from 37 to 95 years old, with a median age of 70 years. Causes of kidney failure were diabetes mellitus in 35.2%, hypertensive kidney disease in 7.3%, glomerular disease in 30.5%, and polycystic kidney disease in 4.5% of the patients. Comorbidities were hypertension in 64.3% and diabetes in 48.9%. Steroids or immunosuppressive drugs were used in 9% of the patients. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody titers at 7 days to 1 month, 1 to 2 months, and 3 to 4 months (median 10, 42, and 98 days) after the second vaccination have the median of 4092 AU/mL(with interquartile range: 1354, 7592), 2199 (927, 4692), and 789 (323, 1559), respectively. Post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers were significantly correlated with Kt/V, the presence of autoimmune diseases, the use of steroids or immunosuppressive drugs, malignancy treatment, and serum albumin and hemoglobin levels. Multivariate analysis showed that the factors that decreased post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 IgG titer were the use of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs, the presence of malignant tumors under treatment, and hypoalbuminemia. Conclusion: Compared to healthy subjects in previous reports, dialysis patients had lower SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers after COVID-19 vaccination, suggesting that the vaccine may not be sufficiently effective. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers are likely to be even lower in patients at high risk for decreased immune response due to medications or comorbidities. Additional vaccination may be essential for hemodialysis patients who are expected to have low SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers.
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There is insufficient data on the impact of severe acute respiratory coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) on the reproductive tissues, its possible risk of cross-contamination, transmission and adverse effect on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome. Until today, there is no report associated with viral RNA in both follicular fluid and embryo culture medium from SARS-COV-2 positive women. In this case report, a 24-year-old woman with SARS-CoV-2 was presented. We investigated the SARS-COV-2 positivity in the follicular fluid and embryo culture medium of mildly symptomatic woman on oocyte pick up (OPU) day. We could not detect viral RNA in neither the follicular fluid nor the embryo culture medium. In addition, although the response of ovarian stimulation was normal, the number and maturity of the retrieved oocytes were low.
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Objective: Self-restraint from activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the range of activities and interpersonal relationships for older persons. Moreover, prolonged restraint has been reported to increase the risk of frailty and sarcopenia. Therefore, we examined the effects of changes in exercise habits on physical function and psychological status of older patients with hypertension throughout their self-restraint lifestyle from 2020 to 2022 in the 1-year follow-up study. Design and Methods: Participants were patients with hypertension aged 65 years or older attending outpatient clinics at our institution who could obtain information on exercise habits, history of falls, comprehensive geriatric assessment, and muscle strength. We conducted the same survey in the first year and one year later. The subjects were classified into four groups by combining their exercise habits in the first year with or without one year later. That is Group A: with exercise habits at both times of the survey;Group B: with exercise habits in the first year and without exercise habits one year later;Group C: without exercise habits in the first year and with exercise habits one year later;and Group D: without exercise habits at both times of the survey. Written consent forms were obtained from all participants. Our institutional review board approved the study protocol. Results: The study participants were 183 patients (Group A: 119, Group B: 26, Group C: 17, Group D: 21). The age of the participants was 76.1 ± 5.5 years, 82 (44.8%) were male, and the duration of hypertension was 18.4 ± 11.5 years. Changes in exercise habits were not associated with physical function, history of falls, and comprehensive geriatric assessment at one year. However, when the results were examined separately for men and women, the geriatric depression scale was significantly higher in women in Group B (Dunnett test, p = 0.0094) than in Group A, suggesting that the tendency toward depression had progressed. Group B women also had more falls one year later (chi-square 12.04, p = 0.0072). Conclusions: In a 1-year follow-up study during the COVID-19 pandemic, a relatively high proportion of older patients with hypertension attending our hospital maintained their exercise habits, but 14% of cases lost their exercise habits. Only women showed the development of depression and increased risk of falls when exercise habits were lost. Women were more susceptible to the effects of environmental changes than men in older patients with hypertension.
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Objective: Since nutrition could extend lifespan even in stroke-prone rats developing stroke genetically, our WHO-Collaborating Center for Primary Prevention of Cardio-vascular Diseases (CVD) started world-wide hearth examination to investigate nutrition good for healthy longevity by collecting 24-hour urine (24U) samples. Design: Urinary biomarkers of nutritions, sodium for salt, potassium (K) for vegetables and fruits, isoflavones(Is) for soy, taurine(Ta) for fish and magnesium (Mg) for beans and nuts were analyzed in 24U among 4211 participants (49.7% females(F)), aged 48-56 years in 50 populations from 22 countries according to WHO-CARDIAC(Cardiovascular Diseases and Alimentary Compression) Study Protocol, and studied comparatively in 6 Japanese(J), 6 Mediterranean(M) populations from Greece, Italy(2), Spain(2), Portugal and 6 Euro-Western(EW) populations from Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Results with Discussion: The quintile analyses of Ta and Mg/creatine ratio in the world were inversely associated with CVD risks. The Odds ratios of obesity, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension in the lowest quintile of both Ta and Mg were 6.3, 4.6 and 1.8, respectively. J and M populations had significantly higher Ta and Mg therefore, lower CVD risks than EW, but J and M took more salt increasing the risk of stroke (Table 1). Despite the high salt intake, M had the merit of significantly high K intake to attenuate the adverse salt effect. J had a merit to take Is from soy containing Mg. Since Is intake was inversely associated with lower BMI in the world populations, high Japanese Mg intake was related to high Is intake which was inversely associated with obesity in Japan. In fact, the Japanese populations who took significantly higher T and Mg had lower BMI as well as higher HDL and folic acid in the blood, expected to prevent atherosclerosis and dementia. In contrast to M and EW, particularly severe obesity over BMI 30 was obviously less in J, ranking 182nd among 190 populations (WHO). The mortality rates of COVID-19 were significantly positively related to the ratio of severe obesity among 20 major countries in the world and this mortality was obviously lower in J, suggestive of the potential of J diet for post-pandemic longevity. Conclusion: 24U biomarker analyses indicated low-salted J and M diets are recommendable for CVD prevention. J diet is so far better than M diet because of lower CVD risks such as obesity and lipidemia, which were proven by urinary biomarkers to be related with traditional fish and soy intakes.
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Background: Patients undergoing cancer treatment and people with a history of cancer constitute a high-risk patient group in the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the life effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment processes of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy at our hospital's Radiation Oncology Clinic. Methods: Sociodemographic data, COVID-19 pandemic awareness, vaccination and disease transmission of the Radiation Oncology Clinic's patients were administered with a written questionnaire that includes the effects of the pandemic on the treatment between 1st and 30th June of 2021. Results: 7 (13.2%) of the patients had COVID-19 infection during the treatment processes, the in-home index was 4 (57%) due to contact with the case (p<0.001). 4 of the patients (7.5%) stated that they had experienced disruptions in their treatment processes caused by the health institution and 4 of the patients (7.5%) stated that they had experienced disruptions in their treatment processes caused by personal anxiety and anxiety during the pandemic process. 8 patients (15%) stated that they had concerns that they would receive incomplete treatment due to the pandemic process, while one patient (1.9%) stated that they had received psychological support and psychiatric medication due to this anxiety and fear. 9 patients (17%) stated that the covid-19 pandemic had a negative effect on oncological disease treatment processes. Conclusion: It is important that the treatment and follow-up of cancer patients, who are a at-risk group for COVID-19 infection, should continue without interruption, accompanied by up-to-date national and international guidelines.
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Objective: It is aimed to detect the disruptions experienced in Healthy Child Follow-ups in the COVID-19 Pandemic. Material and Methods: The files of the patients who applied to the Healthy-Child Outpatient Clinic of our hospital from March 14, 2020, when the curfews began in Turkey, until March 31, 2021, were reviewed retrospectively. Results: During this period, 5036 patients applied for healthy-child follow-ups. It was found that 1.44% (n=73) of these patients missed some of their follow-ups. Of these patients, 35.6% were citizens of the Republic of Turkey, 32.9% were Syrian, and 31.5% were Iraqi refugees. 78.1% of the patients were not taking iron prophylaxis. Hip ultrasonography was not performed in 72.6% of the patients. It was found that 80.8% of the patients were missing vaccination and other follow-ups, while 31.5% were only missing vaccination while other follow-ups were complete. It was determined that 38.3% of the patients did not have more than one vaccination, and 12.3% did not have any vaccination since birth due to vaccine rejection. There was no difference between Turkish citizens and Syrian or Iraqi citizens in terms of missing follow-ups (p=0.213). In terms of missing vaccinations, it was determined that Syrian and Iraqi refugees missed more vaccinations (p<0.001). Conclusion: In order to raise healthy children, it is thought that public should be informed about the importance of followups, and patients should be guided without delay in every case of missing follow-ups.
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COVID-19 patients have a higher incidence of opportunistic infections, but there is little information on tuberculosis (TB). In this study, it was aimed to determine any possible contribution of COVID-19 in TB emergence among patients diagnosed with TB during the pandemic. A retrospective screening of the regional TB laboratory's records identified TB patients diagnosed in the Malatya region between April 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Medical data of TB patients with a prior COVID-19 were evaluated. During the study period, 171 TB patients were diagnosed in the region, with 26 also infected with SARS-CoV-2. Patients' histories revealed that 10 (38.5%) of these 26 patients developed TB symptoms in a median 68.5 days after COVID-19. Four patients had one-week to two-month corticosteroid treatment due to severe COVID-19, and one had a hematological malignancy history. However, the remaining five patients had no significant predisposing factor for TB relapse. Four out of 10 patients were free of any finding for active TB before COVID-19. Severe COVID-19 may have some obvious implications for TB reactivation, but there was no conclusive evidence of such an effect in mild to moderate COVID-19. Nonetheless, inquiring about COVID-19 histories from TB patients in large-scale studies may provide high-quality evidence about the interactions between the two pathogens.
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Background: During the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic, University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust Oncology Department incorporated the ultrahypofractionated regime of 26Gy/5 fractions alongside the moderate hypofractionated regime of 40Gy/15 fractions as part of local adjuvant breast radiotherapy treatment (RT) for eligible patients. We conducted a local study to assess the real-life experience of patients undergoing ultrahypofractionated schedule to compare feasibility and toxicity to the fast-forward trial during the COVID - 19 pandemic. Methods: A single institution, retrospective, qualitative study. Patients included had early-stage breast cancer and received adjuvant radiotherapy between 23 March 2020 and 31 May 2020, a total of 211 patients. Inclusion was irrespective of any other neoadjuvant/adjuvant treatments. Data were collected retrospectively for treatment dose, boost dose and toxicity. Results: Of the total 211 patients, 85 were treated with 26Gy in 5# and 19 patients received a boost as per the fast-forward protocol. Of these 85 patients, 15.9% did not report any skin toxicity post-treatment. 63.5% of patients reported RTOG Grade 1, 15.9% had RTOG Grade 2, and 1.6% reported RTOG Grade 3 skin toxicity. 3.2% of the patients could not be contacted for follow-up. Of the 19 patients who received a breast boost, 10.53% reported no skin changes. 78.9% reported Grade 1 skin toxicity. Both Grades 2a and 2b skin toxicity were reported by 5.26% each. The patient demographics and tumour characteristics in our study cohort were comparable to those within the fast-forward trial. In terms of post-RT skin toxicity, fewer patients reported any toxicity in the UHB patient cohort versus those in the trial, and the number of Grade 2/3 toxicities reported was also low. A delay in toxicity reporting from 2 weeks for 40Gy/15 to 3 weeks for 26Gy/5 was observed. Conclusion: Our study concluded that offering ultrahypofractionation was convenient for patients;reducing the number of hospital visits during the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic appeared safe in terms of acute post-RT-related skin toxicity. The reduced hospital visits limited exposure of patients and staff to the SARS-CoV-2 virus while also ensuring efficient use of Radiotherapy Department resources. Local follow-up protocols have been amended to ensure review at 3 weeks for the 26Gy/5 schedule to acknowledge the delay in acute toxicity development. To date, there is only 5-year toxicity and relapse data available from the fast-forward trial;therefore, hypofractionation schedules should be offered to patients as long as they fulfil the criteria and understand the limitations of the study as well as accelerated peer review processes in the face of the pandemic. © 2022 The Author(s).
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Introduction: Healthcare workers are at the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic and identified as a priority group for COVID-19 vaccines. We aimed to determine to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate and reasons for vaccine refusal in healthcare workers in our hospital. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire consisting of eight questions was applied to healthcare workers working at Ankara City Hospital for 7.5 months after the start of the COVID-19 vaccine in our country, including COVID-19 vaccination, previous years' influenza vaccination, and reasons for vaccine rejection. Results: Six hundred twenty-eight healthcare workers participated in the study. Two hundred fifty-six (40%) of them were doctors. Ninenty-nine of the participants were not vaccinated, the rate of vaccine rejection was 15.7%. The rate of vaccine rejection was the lowest (8.2%) among doctors, and lower among doctors working in the fields of COVID-19 (p= 0.041). While the rates of getting the COVID-19 vaccine were significantly higher in those who had regular or intermittent influenza vaccination every year in the previous years, those who had never had the influenza vaccine did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine either (p= 0.000). The most common reason for vaccine rejection was 'fear of the side effects of the vaccine' (24%), while 'I believe the disease is mild' and 'I want to gain immunity naturally' were other common reasons. Conclusion: Vaccination of healthcare workers has gained even more importance in the COVID-19 pandemic, with both risky and severe working conditions and mortality rates. Determining the reasons for vaccine refusal, finding effective solutions, emphasizing the necessity of vaccination with scientific evidence are important for the control of the pandemic. Vaccination of health workers is a guide in community immunization.
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The pandemic of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection since 2020 caused Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) leads the serious threaten to global public health. It is urgent to diagnose COVID-19, guide epidemiological measures, control the infection rates, research/develop the antiviral treatment and promote the vaccine research. The application of nano-material based biosensors (the nano-biosensors) has achieved the high-performance detection of a variety of biomarkers due to their small device size, label free detection, high sensitivity, good specificity, short detection time, and has been considered as great potential to become a point-of-care testing tool for detecting 2019-nCoV. Therefore, by summarizing the working principle and classification of nano-biosensors, and focusing on the research progress of nano-biosensors in the detection of 2019-nCoV reported in the recent years, our review provides the challenges and future development prospects of the nano-biosensor in clinical laboratory.
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Collaboration and teamwork are well-established cornerstones of modern clinical and academic medicine as well as research, including radiology. Mentorship is also part and parcel of daily medical practice and training. As it is, there is a wide range of opinions on the effectiveness of standard mentorship models. In some cases, academic departments may offer mentorship to fulfill a requirement rather than as a sign of commitment to ensuring that all mentees receive the guidance they seek. Although mentor-mentee relationships might have arisen organically, and such situations are still possible, the overall lack of face-to-face interactions in many departments in the COVID era suggests the need to emphasize formal mentoring programs. We appreciate the overall successes of mentorship in medicine as well as radiology, while acknowledging that, like anything, it is not perfect. Because the processes of decision making and career planning are similar across fields, a peer-to-peer cross-specialty mentorship model could yield untold benefits to early-career radiologists who may receive valuable advice from friends or colleagues outside of medicine, or simply outside of radiology, at crucial points in their careers. There is no ideal formula or format for mentoring, however. We endorse the theory or intentions of mentorship and believe that its effectiveness can take several forms. Having a formal program in place, with built-in flexibility to address our rapidly changing times, remains highly desirable. Our proposal is to expand this notion to a "whatever works,” "anything goes,” or, in the spirit of the COVID era, a hybrid model. © 2022 Elsevier Inc.